[Music] English translation of the lyrics “夜明け前 (yoake mae; before dawn)”

Credits: PONYCANYON
Lyrics: H.U.B.
English translation: tenshi_akuma & Hazy from ECI

The night wind makes my heart ache.
I don’t know why, but suddenly I feel as if I would disappear (in the air).
I feel too lonely to sleep.

I wish I could open the door of this busy city and get out to the place closest to the sky.

Where is tomorrow?
We can’t go. We can’t fly. We can’t (even) see the future.

Even if you cry many times,
Even if your heart is broken dozens of times,
Even if night looks to last forever,
Even if you worry hundreds of times,
Even if you struggle thousands of times,
the sun rises today as usual.
Then, let’s try to start once more.

Our body is full of warm sea.
We are a part of the nature.
Even if it’s too hard to live,
It’s impossible to spin this earth back.
Then, let’s go with the times.

Even if the answer is unclear,
let’s look at your yesterday self and look forward.

Even if you cry many times,
Even if your heart is broken dozens of times,
Even if night looks to last forever,
Even if you worry hundreds of times,
Even if you struggle thousands of times,
the sun rises today as usual.

Thanks to the darkness, stars can twinkle.
There are no wasted pains for us.
After tears, there will be something shiny for sure.

Even if you cry many times,
Even if your heart is broken dozens of times,
Even if night looks to last forever,
Even if you worry hundreds of times,
Even if you struggle thousands of times,
the sun rises today as usual.

Even if you cry many times,
Even if your heart is broken dozens of times,
Even if night looks to last forever,
Even if you worry hundreds of times,
Even if you struggle thousands of times,
the sun rises today as usual.
Then, let’s start once more.

—-
yoru no kaze setu nakute
naze ka kyu ni jibun ga kie soh de
kodoku de nemure nakute

isoideru kono machi no door akete nukedasi
sora made tikai basho e

ashita wa doko ni aru n da rou?
ike nai tobe nai mie nai mirai

nan kai datte nai tatte
nan ju kkai ore sou de
ei en ni yoru ga tuzuki soh demo
nan bya kkai nayan datte
nan zen kai mogai tatte
tai you wa no botte yu ku kyoh mo
mou ikkai hajimete miyou

boku tati no karada ni wa ata taka i u mi ga afure teru
sou sizen no hito tu nan da
tu raku te mo ko no hoshi wa
gyaku muki ni mawase nai n da kara
nagare ni mi wo makase te

kotae ga wakara nakutemo kinou no jibun to mae wo mi you

nan kai datte nai tatte
nan ju kkai ore sou de
ei en ni yoru ga tuzuki soh demo

nan bya kkai nayan datte
nan zen kai mogai tatte
tai you wa no botte yu ku kyoh mo

yami ga aru kara hosi wa kaga yaku
muda na itami na n te nai
namida no saki ni nani ka ga hikaru hazu kitto

nan kai datte nai tatte
nan ju kkai ore sou de
ei en ni yoru ga tuzuki soh demo

nan bya kkai nayan datte
nan zen kai mogai tatte
tai you wa no botte yu ku kyoh mo

mou ikkai hajime you

30 thoughts on “[Music] English translation of the lyrics “夜明け前 (yoake mae; before dawn)””

  1. To be honest, this lyrics has many unclear and weird expressions, so I used my imaginations to understand the intention. I suppose the guy who is depressed now and wants to escape from reality, but at the same time, he admits he needs to keep being positive, so he himself cheered him up, saying something like “You can do it. Be positive. Tomorrow is another day!” I hope this song will encourage you ^^

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    • P.S. The weirdest expression is “Our body is full of warm sea. We are a part of the nature. (僕たちの身体には あたたかい海があふれてる そう自然のひとつなんだ)”

      Please don’t ask me the meaning XD

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    • Thanks Dear tenshi! i am agree with you. thank you very much for sharing <3

      Wow! so beautiful lyrics, my tears fall again TT.TT . I want to hug our sukkie and thank him for sharing his deep feelings.<3
      this lyrics encourages me to go ahead with the hope that the dawn will return, even if the obstacles in the past or present are dificilies, this song inspires me to keep trying.

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      • Hi rose salie. <3<3 you're so nice eel friend. Hug!

        sorry if I did not answer before, I was busy, but I’m here again.

        xoxo.

  2. “In our body there’s full of warm sea.”
    Guessing this may be a reference to the fact that we as humans are made up of minerals but are mostly water. After all, saline solution (salty water)… can be used in medical situations as a volume expander for our blood. Consider now what is a sea… but salty water. What are our tears? Salty water.
    “We are part of nature.”
    Well, this was the message of his last album wasn’t it? “Nature Boy” was full of images of him “getting in touch with nature.” It is through that “getting in touch with nature” that JKS grounds & heals himself… in nature he is not a celebrity, a Hallyu Star, an actor or a singer… in nature, he is just a man. In nature he is able to rest & recharge… and to come back to his EELS…
    “Then, let’s start once more.”

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    • Nancy, you’re always a good poet for me. Reading your guessing, I could understand more deeply. Thank you!

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    • Me too…this makes sense…thank you Nancy…and thank you Tenshi for the translation despite your hectic schedule. .muahs to you girls…our eel master is really one of kind..

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    • Well analysed, it is true.I haven’t heard the all the songs but I love the tune they are all catching and meaningful, reading some of the comment. Once again JKS has done it.

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  3. dear all
    will finally get my hands on the album tomorrow night. sigh. well soon!!
    seems that all the songs that we have seen so far…translated…makes this a pensive, thoughtful and reflective album. deep in parts and sections that we dont fully understand.
    it feels as if Sukkie had a patch and is pulling himself out of it, into the light again. each song so far has been reflecting on the situation/s and then rousing or urging himself out of it, channelling positive thoughts and saying move on. we are behind you Suk, all the way! 🙂

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  4. It is beautiful and sad lyrics,This kind of feeling will appear once,twice or more often in everyone life time,I always hope that our Princejks stay strong,fighting

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  5. First of all, Tenshi, thank you so much for translating all the songs into English. We native English speakers really appreciate all your efforts and the quality of the translations.

    Second, the lyrics of this song resonate clearly with me, perhaps because of my liberal arts education or perhaps of my life experiences. In any case, it’s obvious JKS has taken a philosophical viewpoint with these lyrics. I assume the lyrics reflect his own meditations on his life, what he’s doings, where he going and what he values. The reasoned thoughts and near mystical aspects of the lyrics are quite impressive for one still so young. Ah, wonderful, youthful growing pains so well expressed.

    I’ll await translations of all the songs before I make a final judgement, but I suspect these lyrics – and this song – may become my favorite.

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  6. thanks again for translating!! The lyrics is too challenging for us to understand the meaning of the song,it is too deep. It made me think on what is the message, and as I read the lyrics,maybe it’s all about when a human being had encountered darkness and pain, they want to escape from the real world but we must face and have to move on with life.”There is light after darkness”. I think it reflects to prince sukkie’s life,even he experienced darkness and pain,he became more stronger and move forward with his life, and start a new beginning. ^_^ I really love this album, it’s all about sukkie’s feelings and life. 😉

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  7. I know that somebody else has written the lyrics, but it feels like there are his words. He has talked about this feeling before. Translating poetry is not an easy thing to do. I love how it sounds in english, especially the refrain: “Even if you cry many times…”

    Thank you so much for the translation.^^ I really love this song.

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  8. Thanks Tenshi for your dedication!
    The lyrics are very sensitive and touching. They are sad but also leaves room for hope and confidence. After the storm comes the sun and everything comes alive ….
    “Our body is full of warm sea.”….
    Warm sea surrounds you and go through every pore, warms your body and your soul … For me, the sea / ocean means liberty that you are yearning for when you’re feeling pressed of worry and thoughts …
    In sea water I feel the freedom slowly penetrate every cell of mine. I love the sea ….He love the sea…. Beautiful song!

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  9. Thanx for translation! Well done! I like this song it gives me the inspiration and helps to stay upbeat. ZIKZIN!

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  10. I can’t thank u enough for all your hard work translating Tenshi and Hazy. I just got my copy of Monochrome in the mail today and its so much fun to be able to listen and read along with your translations. To be honest, I’m happy for Japanese eels that the songs are mainly Japanese, but it was a bit harder for me to connect with the songs without English in the chorus like previously. However, all of your translations are making it so much easier 🙂 What would we do without you? Thanks again!! I’m loving Monochrome!! I <3 JKS!!!

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  11. Thank you for this wonderful translation. I listen to this song before even knowing the meaning… I thought it was a like a happy song because of the fast beat never knowing that it is a song full of emotions … a person who had been hurt and crying inside but at the same time wanted to move forward and to start one more time! A very positive attitude. Jang Keun Suk you are the best. Zikzin all the way.

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